History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagics3E5MagicDuel

* CrazyPrepared: Not only does Twilight know how to summon a parasprite to eat a [[EdibleAmmunition thrown pie]], she also knows how to dispel it (and its offspring) when it starts to reproduce. This is a great example of Creator/HPLovecraft's maxim, "Do not call up any that you cannot put down."

* CreatorBacklash: The episode was originally written for Season 2, and creator Creator/LaurenFaust wanted to do something else with Trixie, even wanting this episode pulled.

* BrokenAesop: Speaking of the above, the lesson of this episode is supposed to be that the magic of friendship is important, yet Twilight doesn't seem to have a problem with leaving Pinkie mouthless until the end of the epsiode (presumably hours after defeating Trixie).

* ItWasADarkAndStormyNight: The episode opens this way.

* {{Jerkass}}: In the flashback, we see that Bon Bon's been as bitchy as ever -- she's been ''following Trixie from town to town to make her life hell''. And apparently Carrot Top's been helping her, as well as some of the other background ponies.
* JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope: Trixie was already a {{Jerkass}} to begin with. But once she wears the Alicorn Amulet, she went from an ordinary powerful magician to an outright dictator who went crazy with power.

** Fluttershy ''threatens'' Twilight if any of her animal friends are harmed during a magic trick. Though they have to drag her into action themselves when [[MilesGloriosus she cowers]] before Trixie actually [[KickTheDog decides to put that idea to test.]]

* NeverMyFault: Trixie ''completely'' blames Twilight for her loss of reputation around Equestria even though Twilight had tried to avoid showing her up despite Trixie constantly goading her (an the rest of Ponyville), Snips and Snails had only brought the Ursa Minor to Ponyville because [[HoistByHisOwnPetard they had believed her boasts that she had vanquished one before]], and Twilight ''had'' to take care of the Ursa Minor or all of Ponyville would have been smashed. While Trixie eventually takes responsibility for the alicorn amulet this episode, she never admits that the events of the previous episode were partly her own fault.

* SmallNameBigEgo: One can only assume that Trixie is this when she gloats about conquering Equestria next. Despite her boosted spellpower from the Alicorn Amulet, there're two [[PhysicalGod princesses]] that she would have to fight in order to have that happen. Then again, she's DrunkOnTheDarkSide, and Queen Chrysalis has demonstrated that they aren't invulnerable.

* SpotTheImposter: See Foreshadowing above. Trixie couldn't.

** The beavers, too, when they were smuggling Fluttershy out of town. Trixie either understood them or figured out what they wanted.

* WizardDuel: Twice.

* SkewedPriorities: Fluttershy is rather aggressively protective of her animal buddies towards one of her closest friends. However when they and the rest of Ponyville become endangered by a malevolent tyrant, she'd rather not take a stand.

** Also, Twilight has every opportunity to give Pinkie her mouth back once Trixie has been dealt with, but the show being put on for the Saddle Arabians is supposedly a bigger priority for her, while everypony else acts like everything is okay and ignores Pinkie. [[SarcasmMode Hooray for the magic of friendship!]]

** One may figure out that Twilight's "act" in her second duel with Trixie was all staged if one notices that the "stallion" and "old" Applejack look suspiciously like Big Mac and Granny Smith. Big Mac even makes the same "Eeyup", albeit with Applejack's voice, and Granny Smith has different eye color than Applejack. Also, "baby" Rarity has Sweetie Belle's eye shape, which is noted by the fans as odd for unicorn fillies. Also if you [[FreezeFrameBonus pause some of the scenes]] with the two Rainbow Dashes you'll notice their wings are different shapes with one having longer, thinner wing feathers than the other. ''And'' regular viewers can certainly figure out that Twilight doesn't need magic for Pinkie's one-pony band (beyond summoning the instruments). If you didn't, watch the "explanation" scene carefully and you can spot Big Mac being painted, Fluttershy dying her hair, and Granny in full disguise.

* CrazyPrepared: Not only does Twilight know how to summon a parasprite to eat a [[EdibleAmmunition thrown pie]], she also knows how to dispel it (and its offspring) when it starts to reproduce. This is a [[GenreSavvy great example]] of Creator/HPLovecraft's maxim, "Do not call up any that you cannot put down."

* NeverMyFault: That said, Trixie ''completely'' blames Twilight for her loss of reputation around Equestria even though Twilight had tried to avoid showing her up despite Trixie constantly goading her (an the rest of Ponyville), Snips and Snails had only brought the Ursa Minor to Ponyville because [[HoistByHisOwnPetard they had believed her boasts that she had vanquished one before]], and Twilight ''had'' to take care of the Ursa Minor or all of Ponyville would have been smashed. While Trixie eventually takes responsibility for the alicorn amulet this episode, she never admits that the events of the previous episode were partly her own fault.

* MisplacedRetribution: Trixie blames Twilight for humiliating her, even though Trixie only has herself to blame for not living up to her own hype. However, she spends the majority of the episode tormenting [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom Snips and Snails]], who were the ones that provoked the Ursa Minor to test said hype.

** Zecora was originally intended to be a mentor figure for Twilight during the planning stages. Here the zebra shelters Twilight during exile and helps her with her plan to take down Trixie.

* EasilyForgiven: Twilight accepts Trixie's apology despite the fact that she enslaved all of Ponyville and threatened to take over Equestria.

** Fluttershy ''threatens'' Twilight if any of her animal friends are harmed during a magic trick. Though they have to drag her into action themselves when [[MilesGloriosus she cowers]] before Trixie actually [[KickTheDog putting that idea to test.]]
** Twilight herself is pretty angry when Trixie goes after Spike.

** Zecora was originally intended to be a mentor figure for Twilight during the planning stages.

* TheCaligula: Trixie forces Snip and Snails to carry her in a wheel-less wagon because she [[ItMakesSenseInContext doesn't trust wheels.]]

* CurbStompBattle: Trixie delivers one to Twilight in their first duel but Twilight [[CurbStompCushion gets a few good moves in, such as summoning the parasprite.]]
** She is later on the receiving end during her rematch with Twilight, only getting in a single spell before she just stares on in a mix of shock and horror as Twilight takes control.

* RapidFireNailBiting: Fluttershy anxiously bite on her hooves while Twilight is levitating her animal friends.

* GenderBender: Played with. During the second duel, Applejack is magically transformed into a large brawny stallion by Twilight's new magical power. [[SubvertedTrope It's really Big Macintosh painted up to look like Applejack]].

* AnswerCut: After being banished from Ponyville, Twilight wonders out loud about who can help her, since she can't contact Princess Celestia. The next scene cuts to Zecora's hut in the Everfree Forest with Twlight finishing filling the zebra about what happened.

** During the first magic duel, Twilight gives Trixie a large handlebar mustache. [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E6BoastBusters Now what spell was Twilight practicing at the beginning of "Boast Busters"?]]

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Trixie was just a {{jerkass}} stage magician in her last appearance. After getting the Alicorn Amulet, she not only gets untold magical powers, but is corrupted by its influence and becomes an evil tyrant.

* ArtifactOfDoom: The Alicorn Amulet gives Trixie tremendous power, but also corrupts her into becoming a megalomaniac.

* ShooOutTheClowns: They ''silenced Pinkie!'' However, this ends as a subversion since mute Pinkie manages to be a walking RunningGag.

* {{Guile Hero}}ine: Zecora teaches Twilight to be one, allowing her to get Trixie to take off the [[ArtifactOfDoom Alicorn Amulet]] via an elaborate magic act.

* PlotHole: How did Pinkie not suffocate? Or play the tuba? The answer is given by Twilight: "That wasn't magic; that was just [[InexplicablyAwesome Pinkie Pie]]".

* NotHimself: Trixie, who's corrupted by the [[ArtifactOfDoom Alicorn Amulet]]. Twilight notices it, sighting she's gone from a showboat to a despot.